11 | A Trip To Maryland
As a result of the ad and the information about Wolfgang, my son Eric and I were motivated to take a trip to Maryland in May, 1990.
At that time, we knew about Johann Wolfgang Odoerfer from Germany, and his desertion to Camp Frederich, Maryland. Also, I had earlier traced our family back to my great, great, great grandfather, John Odoerfer, who attended the St. Paul’s Lutheran and Reformed Church in Clear Spring, Md. and worked on a John Mason farm 12 miles from Hagerstown. We felt sure we could make a connection between Johann and John, and so connect our family back to the Odoerfers in Germany.
As our visit unfolded, we found more information about John, where he worked, and where he went to church. We also found that Fort Frederick, where Johann deserted was in this same area. Upon returning home, we had a lot to ponder.